Since the morning of Tuesday, September 11, images of the unspeakable tragedy that has engulfed the U.S. have been forever carved into our memories. We have watched in horror as hijacked airplanes full of innocent people have been used as weapons of destruction, toppling the World Trade Center, damaging the Pentagon and crashing outside of Pittsburgh.

The loss of life is indescribable. Even now, we know the death toll will be more than 6,000 innocent people. There are few people who will be untouched by this tragedy. Our hearts and our prayers go out to those people who have lost a wife or a husband, a mother or a father, a daughter or a son, a neighbor or a friend.

Still, amid the horror, there is so much that reminds us of the goodwill and incredible spirit of people here and around the globe. The seemingly tireless efforts of the firefighters, police and emergency crews have been nothing short of heroic and inspiring. The donations of time, supplies and money have poured in at a tremendous rate.

Throughout the world, moments of silence and memorial services have been held, and leaders have offered whatever support they can provide.

We often speak of the world becoming increasingly globalized, but the events of September 11 remind us that the world that we are speaking of is the civilized portion. It is a stark reminder that even as more and more nations and their people come to understand and work together with each other, there will always be a tiny faction that cannot cooperate with others, and are bent on destroying lives and property. These people will be brought to justice in the end.

The tragedy of September 11 will always remain a sad part of our collective conscious. Still, it is imperative that we continue resolutely on, to show these evil criminals that their violent attacks will not deter people the world over from a bright future. In that way, the heinous goals of the terrorists will ultimately be defeated.